Start-up stars versus the ghost companies

The Sunday Times examines the level of startups which formed across the UK in 2019.

Bromsgrove offers little evidence to suggest that it is at the vanguard of the start-up revolution. There are no trendy co-working spaces or tech incubators on the West Midlands town’s pedestrianised high street. It does not have a university pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence. A bronze statue of the poet AE Housman is a favourite for tourists.

Yet Bromsgrove — on paper, at least — is one of the top places in Britain for starting a business. Last year, 5,522 new companies were formed there, more than in Edinburgh, Bristol or Liverpool. According to research published last week by the Centre for Entrepreneurs think tank. Of every 1,000 Bromsgrove residents, 56 launched a start-up in 2019.